A member of the Gospel clan who could use teleportation magic escorted Jin to where No. 700672 was located.
"I appreciate your hard work."
An automaton Jin had never seen before came out to greet him and thanked the Gospel clan member for their service.
"You may return now."
Upon hearing those words, the Gospel clan member looked a bit disappointed but departed via teleportation.
"Jin-sama, please come this way."
Now alone, Jin followed the automaton as she led him inside.
They walked down a corridor and soon arrived at a familiar 'white room.'
"Oh, Jin-dono! It has been far too long!"
There stood No. 700672, looking exactly as he had four hundred years ago. He welcomed Jin with a nostalgic smile.
"Jin-sama, it has been a while."
"Jin-sama, I've missed you."
Neige and Rouge, the two homunculi, also greeted him, their appearances unchanged by the passage of time.
"None of you have changed at all."
Jin felt as though he had truly stepped back four centuries, and a sense of relief washed over him.
"I heard about this four hundred years ago, but to think you have finally arrived," No. 700672 said, his voice thick with emotion.
"Now, let me fulfill the request made of me by the Jin-dono of four hundred years ago."
"Um, and what would that be?"
"The delivery of Pegasus 2."
"Pegasus 2?"
Jin was well-acquainted with his personal craft, Pegasus 1, but he knew nothing of a second model. He realized he must be the one to build it after he eventually returned to his own era.
Led by No. 700672, Jin left the white room and ascended to the floor above.
"This is my first time on this level."
"Naturally. It was originally just a vast, empty warehouse."
In the center of that warehouse sat Pegasus 2.
"This is..."
"With this craft, you can travel anywhere on Ars. Conversely, without it, you will never reach Hourai Island."
No. 700672 spoke with solemn gravity.
Jin stared, wide-eyed, at the design. It was remarkably different from Pegasus 1.
"I wonder who designed this..."
It possessed a sleek, beautiful form that Jin didn't think he was currently capable of imagining, let alone creating.
Wait, could it be that I’m seeing it here now, and I’ll remember it and build it based on this memory later?
Jin felt the weight of another potential time paradox.
"The piloting method is supposedly identical to Pegasus 1. The specifics are recorded within this magi-crystal."
No. 700672 held out a small magi-crystal.
The 'me' from four hundred years ago certainly was thorough, Jin thought, feeling a touch of pride in his future self.
"Trans Info."
Technical specifications flooded into Jin's mind.
"A magi-reactor, force generator, barrier projector, gravitioner..."
The armaments were equally impressive: a Magi Trans Gun, Magi Cannon, Induction Radiator, Paralyzer, and Laser Cannon, among others.
"What on earth am I supposed to be fighting...?"
Jin wanted to question his future self about the excessive firepower, but he reconsidered, wondering if there were situations ahead that truly demanded such high performance.
"Moreover, this craft can even reach space."
He realized he could probably travel to and from the Moon—to Uni—without any trouble at all.
"It seems you find it satisfactory."
As Jin finished processing the data, No. 700672 spoke to him.
"I do. To think that the me of four hundred years ago—or rather, the me after I return home—built something this advanced."
"Hehe, you look quite pleased, Magi Craft Meister Jin-dono."
"Well, of course I am."
"Ah, yes. There is one thing I must emphasize."
No. 700672’s tone turned cautionary.
"Do not attempt to use a Warp Gate under any circumstances before you have liberated Hourai Island."
"I understand."
Jin knew the extreme danger of jumping into a Warp Gate that had no receiving terminal active on the other side.
I suppose that means Shinkai isn't functioning either.
Jin felt an urgent need to uncover the truth behind everything.
"Use this craft to travel to the westernmost point of the Lashier Continent, Jin-dono. That is where Lady Reiko is."
"Reiko!"
"If it is you, you will understand her current state once you arrive."
"I understand." Jin nodded firmly. "The westernmost point of the Lashier Continent... that's in the Southern Hemisphere, isn't it?"
"Correct. The map data should be pre-loaded into Pegasus 2 as well."
He was finally making real progress. Jin's heart swelled with anticipation.
"Well then, my task is complete. What will you do now, Jin-dono?"
Having returned to the white room, No. 700672 addressed him once more.
"Well, is there any other information you're allowed to share with me?" Jin asked, eager for any advantage.
"Hmm, let me think."
No. 700672 paused to consider before speaking.
"Are you aware that over the last two hundred years, the imbalance in free ether concentrations has begun to level out?"
"No, that’s news to me."
"I see... Four hundred years ago, the free ether concentration in the south was extremely low—approaching zero at the South Pole—but it has recovered significantly now."
"Is that so?"
Jin recalled that Lordtoss had been living quite normally within the Jagus Principality.
"Actually, that makes a lot of sense."
"Indeed. The demon race... or the Northern People, as they are called now. Free ether levels have recovered enough for them to live comfortably as far as the equator."
He explained that the process was being handled gradually, as a sudden shift would cause too many complications.
"I have been entrusted with managing those adjustments."
"I see."
With Hourai Island sealed and Onogoro Island in dormancy, No. 700672 was indeed the most reliable figure left.
"The plan is to return the world to its original state over the course of twenty human generations on the Lauren Continent."
Assuming twenty-five years per generation, that meant five hundred years. In another three centuries, the distribution of free ether on Ars would be uniform once again.
"I’ll leave the rest to you, then."
As a fellow inhabitant of Ars, Jin bowed his head to No. 700672 in gratitude.
"Umu."
"And... well, once I liberate Hourai Island, I’ll come back to visit. I'll bring some Persica juice as a gift."
"I look forward to it."
No. 700672 and Jin shared a warm laugh.
"The performance of this thing is incredible..."
Jin muttered to himself as he took off from No. 700672’s base aboard Pegasus 2.
Thanks to its high-performance magi-reactor, the craft had an abundant supply of energy. This allowed the gravitioner to remain active, completely canceling out the G-forces exerted on the pilot during acceleration.
"This is much more efficient than simply expanding the range of a force generator."
Before he could even finish his thought, Pegasus 2 had already arrived at the Gospel clan territory.
He performed a smooth vertical landing using the gravitioner.
Members of the Gospel clan rushed out to see what was happening, their faces etched with shock when they realized it was Jin stepping out of the craft.
As he climbed down from Pegasus 2, Jin began racking his brain, wondering how on earth he was going to explain this.